The Only Queer Kids in Possum Springs
by PriestessAmy
Summary: Gregg and Angus have moved on to bigger and better things, leaving Mae and Bea alone in their home town. But perhaps things don't have to be so bad, even in a small town with no cell reception and an elder god sleeping below.
1. The Fix is In

Unemployment, joyous and free as it was, could only go on for so long. Eventually, Mae had to succumb to the realities of life and find herself a paycheck by means of labor. But she was off to a rough start. Working for a place like Taco Buck meant free tacos forever, or so she hoped. But despite hiring Danny, Mae's resume apparently wasn't nearly good enough for them. Ditto the Clik Clak, which at least let her get as far as an interview. Unlike everything movies and TV taught her, diners did not, in fact, want a sassy no-nonsense waitress who was ready to tell customers how to fix their problems. They focused on boring things like "remembering orders" and "not volunteering to throw boiling coffee in the faces of people who had been there too long".

Gregg and Angus had finally managed to get their savings together, and no amount of pouting or vague nightmare eye-based threats would convince them to stay. The good news was that there was now an open spot at the Snack Falcon. The bad news was that she only lasted a week there. It was actually kind of impressive considering how much Gregg slacked off there. But _apparently_ stealing from your own job was worse, not better, than stealing from other people.

There was still one more place to try, but Mae dreaded even thinking about it. The answer was going to be an obvious no, and worse, an obvious no from her sole remaining best friend. But she had a penchant for destruction, surely that could be turned into something halfway useful, right? Mae stepped through the door of the Pickaxe, causing that familiar little bell to ring, a Pavlovian kind of feeling. If Mae had been better at school, she might have seen the oncoming train here and now. Instead, it would take some time for her to realize she'd been training herself for something big.

At any rate, she must have had a serious hangdog look on her face because Bea caught on immediately that things weren't going well. "I take it Snack Falcon was a bust?"

Mae casually pushed herself up and sat on the edge of the counter with a forlorn noise. "Nope. I swear, I'm hopeless. I knew this would happen."

Bea sighed, that sigh she always gave, the only sigh she knew how to make, and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Mae Borowski, you are many things. Impetuous, aggravating, stupid, funny, weird. But you're not hopeless. You have at least one hope, probably others."

"How do you know? How could you possibly say with 100% certainty that I have some hope. Do you have magical hope-sensing powers? Are you a hope-witch, Bea?"

Bea rolled her eyes again, smirking a little this time. "Because I am going to give you a job here."

Mae's nightmare eyes flew wide open and she stared at her for a few silent seconds. "Like seri-"

"Yes, seriously. But there are caveats. Oh, the caveats I shall present to you." That smirk remained, and Mae would have been happy to see it if that didn't mean there was trouble on the horizon. "Until you prove you can behave like a responsible adult, I'm going to be on you like a flipping hawk. You will sort nails, you will carry rock salt, you will go out on home repairs. And when I start feeling like you and I are actually the same age again, we can be friendly here."

Holy crap, that was a lot to lay on a girl. Mae continued to look at her dumbly for a while. "I thought you didn't even really have that kinda power..."

"Eh, dad and I finally broke down and had a kind of gigantic talk about stuff. It was really messy and he was kinda wasted at the time. So obviously it's all in the works still. But I'm at least allowed to hire and fire. Which means I was able to hack and slash my way through our terrible, terrible workforce. Leaving us with plenty of room to bring you in – so that I can babysit you and turn you into a real, actual human being." She chuckled, almost evilly, and rubbed her hands together like some kind of villainous... villain. It was extra creepy when Bea did it because she never laughed.

Seeing as failing at yet another job would no doubt earn her a lecture from her parents, Mae was fully on-board with this whole thing. Because lectures suuuuucked and Beebee was coooool. She placed her right hand on her chest, left hand in the air. "I, Mae Borowski, do solemnly swear to sort nails, carry rock salt, and all that other stuff you said. Um. Amen."

* * *

As it turned out, Mae wasn't so bad at the tool and construction business. Granted, it was a long, hard climb to get there. Bea was, surprise surprise, serious about becoming a taskmaster. Every gross cleaning job, every aggravating organizational situation, every demeaning repair job that required crawling around in mud. And she took to them all with gusto. She wanted to prove herself, and more specifically she wanted to prove herself to Bea and her parents and everyone who thought she was just a trashchild. Okay, so maybe she was the only one to ever call herself a trashchild, but you could just _tell_ everyone else did it too when she wasn't listening.

Everything culminated right where it all began. Well, not literally, there were way too many questions and arrangements needed to actually make that happen. But it did feel rather cyclical when the Pickaxe got a call from Mrs. Miranda asking that someone come fix her boiler, which had never been properly repaired since Mae bashed the hell out of it back in the fall. Bea was all-too eager to volunteer her friend for the task.

So now she stood before the monstrosity once again, wrench in hand instead of baseball bat. Bea stood just to the side, leaning against the wall and just looking so smug and cool. "So here we are, Mae Borowski. Finally, after like six months. Just you and... what the hell did you call him?"

"Clanky, duh! But soon, he shall be... Not So Clanky. Which is not a very good name, except when you are a furnace that works properly. Then, it is a badge of honor." Mae drew her wrench as though it were some kind of holy relic and set to work. And really, she was starting to get the hang of it. Bea was rough most of the time when it came to work stuff – she didn't even let the tiniest mistake go unnoticed or unaddressed. But it had actually paid off, because Mae was focused and ready, and before she knew it, Not So Clanky had been born. A beautiful, silent boy full of heat and love.

She could hear Bea at the top of the basement steps attempting to futilely turn the doorknob, then sigh, and start descending to join her. "Alright, looks like it's time for your final test. Complete this last mission and you will officially be declared 'capable'. Mrs. Miranda has locked us down here again. You have to get her attention without busting, smashing, or otherwise breaking anything. Can you do this?" It was weird, Bea was almost starting to sound more like her normal self again, amused rather than dictatorial or surly, despite the two of them being locked down here once again.

Mae looked back at the furnace and a familiar feeling washed over her. Initially it had been a sensation of terror and confusion. But for the first time ever, it actually made things... better? She smiled and looked over at Bea with a confident nod. "Easy as nuffin, muffin. Just make sure you're ready to answer the door when Mrs. Miranda shows. I'll need an extra second or two before I can leave."

Mae hadn't meant to be vague, and it made Bea nervous. "And you're not gonna so much as bash a single thing?"

"I solemnly swear, Beatrice Santello. With little more than a few wrench turns, we will be free as birds, provided the birds in question are not in jail. Because _those_ birds are not free." She apparently chose not to bother responding and instead just went back up the stairs. With the room cleared, Mae turned her attention once more on Not So Clanky. Looking at him now, it was all so easy.

He was just... shapes.

* * *

After some lemonade and objects that Mrs. Miranda _told_ them were scones though both girls doubted it, Bea finally spoke up. A cloud of fireflies was gathering around Mae and she gracefully caught one between her paws. "Okay so I kinda intuited that you might be good at this, but you got like... actually good. What the hell was that?"

"You have to promise not to freak out on me. Because I'm going to say something that may be slightly freak-out-ish." Of course, telling someone not to freak out often made them start to immediately do exactly that. But it was also hard to tell with Bea. So perhaps it all evened out anyway. "Um, so... Remember when everything went to hell and then we were crashing on Gregg and Angus's couch and I talked about the softball thing and college and shapes?"

"Uh, yeah Mae, it's kinda hard to forget the first time someone describes what their dissociative episodes are like." There was a definite edge to her voice, and Mae had to remind herself that it was only because Bea cared about her that she talked like that.

"This was kinda. The good version. Of that stuff. Like I could just look at the furnace and see all the bits and pieces and get a feel for how it was put together and what it needed. And I guess maybe that's because... when something is _stuff_ , it actually _has been_ created. It was disturbing and gross when it happened to people because they're supposed to be fleshy and unpredictable. But with stuff, it's okay, because it's supposed to be shapes and pieces. Does. Any of that actually make sense or am I just complete back in crazy town now?"

Beatrice stopped walking for a moment and eyed her down, as serious as can be. "Y'know what? After that whole death-cult thing? I'm kinda open to pretty much any possibility. But I'm going to be keeping a close eye on you, Borowski. Any sign that you're going to bash someone's face in and I'm putting you on permanent register duty. Especially since there's a 75% chance it's my face you'd bash. And I enjoy my face."

"Nah. Even Crazy Mae wouldn't dare hurt a face that cute." She had meant for that to come out as a joke. But her heart was beating a little harder now as they continued on toward Bea's car.


	2. Oh Girl, Let's Crash the Party

"Okay. Look. I'm getting better at following your train of thought, Mae. But I'm not an expert, so go over this one more time."

Mae snapped to attention and turned her eyes from watching the passing scenery to where Bea was driving her car. "I massively screwed up at that party back in the fall. And... I know you haven't really been going to any since then. And I just think it would be good for you to go back, but like... not feel as if you have to lie about it! You're awesome all by yourself, and I'm sure there are lots of cool guys who would be interested in you for who you are!"

The corners of Bea's mouth tugged slightly upward. "Sometimes your positivity surprises me, Mae."

"Yeah, well. It's my patented method for not going insane. Besides, you helped me out, so I wanted to repay the favor." Mae nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "Besides, lesson learned. I'm going to keep my mouth shut and let Jackie be your wingwoman." A bit selfishly, Mae also knew this would leave her free to go and hunt down Bombshell. She had no assurance that the beautiful bear would even be in attendance, but stupid hope was kind of her trademark at this point. It was the only reason she made it through that thing with the cult.

"Well, you don't have to stay too far away. Don't forget, no matter how many dudes I talk to, you're still coming home with me at the end of the night." Mae wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she went back to looking out the window and watching the rolling scenery. God, why did she have to go and say that thing about Bea being 'home enough'? She had been feeling so honest that day, and Honest Mae said stupid shit.

* * *

The thing that Mae liked about parties like this was that they were incredibly low-key. She tried one time to go partying at college, and it had been a major disaster. Things had already started to go downhill at that point, granted. But there was deafening music and blinding lights and so many pretty people and dangerous drinks and... Well, needless to say, there were shapes, and she was back in her dorm by nine. Her fault for going to a frat party, really.

Mae was finally starting to get the hang of this whole moderation thing. She had a single beer and she was sipping it quite slowly. It tasted like garbage, but the liquid courage was necessary. Because as she inched her way along the edge of the dancefloor, there she was – Bombshell. She pushed away the urge to down the rest of her drink and continued to sip it, trying to be as cool as possible. A name and a phone number, maybe another handshake. Was it so much to ask? How hard could it be?

As it turned out, insanely hard. Because Bombshell was already talking to someone, repeating her name in that purring way, messing with her blue hair, showing them the pentagram handshake... For a moment, everything in Mae's vision began to blur and she felt sick to her stomach. She had at least enough presence of mind to set her half-drunk beer onto the nearest surface and walk away. She had every intention of just going back to Bea and trying her hardest to be normal and sane. But reality had prepared a stupid double-whammy for her, because her home was nowhere to be found.

"What did you do?" Ugh, what the hell was up Jackie's ass this time?

"Literally nothing. I was over there. Like. From the moment we walked in the door."

The deer huffed and glared at her. "On the way over then. You did something. You told her something. I know this is your fault somehow."

Mae wasn't particularly fond of being blamed like this, but something about the concept was also just familiar enough that she was starting to believe that it really was her fault. Provided she ever found out what 'it' was. "Fine, whatever. What precisely did I make happen?"

"She was talking to this really cute, really nice guy. And she started being all weird and honest about stuff. Talked about the Pickaxe. Said she reads a lot and used to 'play drums' on her laptop for a band that doesn't even have a name. And y'know what, just when it was actually starting to work? She just left! She just walked out!" Mae might have felt proud of the fact that her advice actually worked, because duh, she was a love guru. But now was not the time for self-congratulation. "I might almost tell you not to go get her because I'd be terrified you'd make it worse. But this is your situation and you'd better fix it now."

Mae opted to not even bother addressing everything wrong with what Jackie had to say because she'd be there all night long. Instead she just walked out, grumbling to herself. Not like she didn't know where to find her anyway. And this time, there were no douchebags to yell at her for bouncing on their car, and no rain to make running on rooftops difficult or dangerous. It was a hop, skip, and a jump to the river, putting her right on the heels of Bea where she sat lighting up a cigarette.

She popped up onto the stone bench thing next to her, and the two sat in silence for a while, punctuated only by the sound of Bea smoking. "Your advice worked, y'know. There was this guy Mark, had a nose ring, thought it was really cool that I was supporting my widower father by running a store. Wanted to talk about drumming software."

"So... what happened?"

"I think I... I came to terms with my _situation_ and realized it was pointless?" She breathed deep from the cigarette and blew out a thick cloud of smoke. "It's because of you, actually. Realizing that maybe getting to go to college isn't actually a solution to anything. It's just an option. And it's not an actual option I have right now. God, a year ago I would feel sick to my stomach for saying that out loud. My online courses are actually kinda going okay. I might be in Possum Springs for a while, and I just can't imagine trying to maintain some kind of long distance relationship with a dude I met at a party."

"I guess you're choosing the single life then? Because pickings are slim back home. Thin on the ground. Light in the air. Not a lot of dudes. Is what I'm saying. Cuz I think Scriggins is the only option and. No."

"You know, I even asked out Selmers."

Mae's eyes went wide, even if she knew it was rude to stare, she couldn't help it at the moment. Was Bea...? "Uh, Selmers, really?"

"Well yeah. Remember the poetry club at the library? And Selmers gave that amazing poem? Hidden depths, dude."

Obviously that was kind of an evasive response, Mae was getting used to the many degrees of Bea's speech patterns. She was avoiding the obvious elephant in the room. "I didn't realize you uh. Swung that way." God dammit, why did she have to phrase it that way? _Idiot, Mae, you're an idiot._ "So when Gregg was complaining to me about being some of the only queer kids in town...?"

"No, not even Angus really knew that I was bi. I mean, it was kinda the reason I sought him out and became friends with him in the first place. He probably figured it out, but after a while it just sorta went without saying. Hah, I guess that makes you the first person I've actually come out to. Well, I mean, other than Selmers. But she's so laid back it's hard to tell when she's shocked."

"I don't have much of a poker face. Sorry. Thanks for like... the honesty? And all? That really is super awesome." In truth, Mae was feeling a good deal more than just happy. But all her energy was being used up keeping her elation under wraps. Of course, like an idiot, she had been letting a maybe sorta kinda teeny tiny crush develop without squashing it, and now come to find out that it wasn't necessarily the worst idea in the world. Granted, Bea was still a million times too cool and gorgeous to be anything other than a friend. But this was like a tiny step in a better direction.

"I take back what I said. Y'know, last time we were out here. I mean, maybe it wouldn't have been as likely for us to become friends. But at least in this universe, we did, twice. And. Um. I'mgladthatyou'remybestfriendMayday..." Not one for gestures of affection, Bea placed an arm around her shoulders.

But Mae wasn't satisfied with a minor gesture, and turned to throw her arms around Bea almost viciously, squeezing the life out of her. "Awwwww! Beebee! I'mgladthatyou'remybestfriend too! Now, last time, we kinda just went home. But I think in light of the fact that we both struck out, we owe it to ourselves to go back to the party and do some proper partying. I still need to get down and shake my non-existent rump."

Bea smirked, flicking away the butt of her cigarette and standing up, brushing herself off and starting back toward the party. "You struck out? With who?"

"Oh, uh... I mean, not like actually. Bombshell. Like. We talked last time and I thought maybe I could catch back up with her. Only she was putting the moves on some other girl. Some way cuter girl. Seemed like bad etiquette to shove my trashfire self in the middle of that."

Bea nodded and, surprisingly, grabbed up her hand. "C'mon. Let's go hit the dancefloor and show your crush what she's missing."

 _Oof, ironic phrasing. Don't say a word. Don't say a word._ Mae kept her mouth shut and just nodded dumbly, walking with her back to the party to get some nervous energy out through dancing.

* * *

As it turned out, staying longer at a party that was 90 minutes away from home created some issues. In Mae's case, it was falling super asleep in the passenger seat while Bea drove them home.

She woke up to find herself in Bea's arms just as they entered her bedroom. Not quite technically cogent just yet, she groaned and buried her face in against her neck as if that would somehow help to block out the light. "Ugh, please tell me my parents didn't see you bridal carrying me into the house..."

Bea sat her down on the edge of the bed. "No, I think they already went to bed. Must be heavy sleepers."

"You shoulda just woken me up and sent me on my way. Didn't haveta haul me up here. Bad for your back I bet..." Mae was working overtime through her foggy brain to not let anything important slip out. She was focusing on hauling her boots off, which for some reason never stopped being a production.

Bea scoffed and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed, watching with some amusement at how much trouble she had just taking off her shoes. "C'mon, you're what... ninety pounds soaking wet? Besides, you clearly got 'heavy sleeper' genes from both your parents. Because no amount of vigorous shaking was going to wake you up. It wasn't a problem, seriously. Good to see your room is exactly as wonderfully dorky as I thought it would be."

"Oh, yeah, guess you haven't really hung out up here before." Seeing as Bea was making herself comfortable, Mae bravely decided to go in for the kill. "Wanna watch a movie? I torrented a bunch of random shit the other day and I haven't had the chance to watch any of it yet. She said... knowing full well she would probably fall asleep five minutes later..." Mae chuckled awkwardly, embarrassed that she was so obviously transparent.

Against all odds, Bea shrugged and got herself a more comfy position on the bed while Mae got the laptop ready. There was some idle discussion before they agreed on a crappy horror movie that they could make fun of, but again, it mattered little. Mae fell back asleep within half an hour or so, snoozing on Bea's shoulder. Bea chuckled softly and drew the blanket around her. "Night, Mayday."


	3. I am Just Pieces of You

Mae woke up in something of a haze, but her unconscious mind had rather been expecting her bed to be more occupied than it was. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with a little whine. She fumbled around for a while until she finally found a note sitting nearby on top of her laptop which had been thoughtfully shut down and closed.

" _Hey Butt-ass, you fell asleep on me. You're a rude host. We should do it again some time. See you at work."_

She couldn't help but smile a little brighter at the words on the page there. They weren't much, and to the untrained eye they were probably kinda mean. But knowing Bea, she knew how nice this really was. Maybe she even meant the thing about being a rude host, but the much more important line was the one that followed. Mae felt a touch lighter as she hurried to put on her boots and switch out of her shirt into her Pickaxe polo that Bea had recently instituted. For someone who wanted so badly get out of town, she put a lot of effort into making the Pickaxe a much nicer place to be – even going so far as to get a delightful emblem to put on all the shirts and the new sign.

Be-polo'd and boots finally on, Mae was all set to go. She stopped off long enough downstairs to say hello to her mother and chat some more about her newest book (diary of a badger who built churches) before heading into town for the Pickaxe. There was that familiar bell ding-a-linging as she strolled in the door and took to her familiar spot next to Bea. "Hey there, disappearing lady."

"Hey there. You sleep okay last night?"

"I think it's safe to say I did. Even re-positioned myself in my sleep."

"Huh? Oh, no, I did that. Seemed like a bitchy thing, to leave you sleeping upright."

Mae gave her best look of wide-eyed surprise. "Beeeeaaaaaaa, you tucked me in?" Far easier to make a joke out of this than to let herself freak out too much about the mental image of Bea carefully placing her in the bed and maybe kissing her forehead or something. That was dumb and stupid and dumb and not real anyway.

"Well yeah." Bea just shrugged and typed some information into the store computer, acting totally aloof like always.

They returned to their usual banter from there and the day went on like always. Work orders and people needing hammers and everything in between. It wasn't until almost noon that the two got an interesting phone call. Bea answered it, propping the phone carefully against her shoulder. "Ol' Pickaxe, how can I help you? Oh. Yeah hey. Yeah? Shut up. Shut up. Oh my god. That's amazing. Yeah, she's right here. Of course, I'll tell her. Talk later." She hung up and turned to Mae with possibly the most earnestly delighted face she'd seen Bea wear in ages. "Uh, so that was Angus. He uh... He and Gregg are getting married."

"Holy shit, that's awesome! When?" It was a little hard to believe they were taking the leap like that after so quickly moving to a big city. But then again, it was very Gregg to pull something like that.

"Soon, and they want us to be there. It's just gonna be a small civil ceremony, and since none of their families really want anything to do with them at this point, we're all they've got. I know it's not exactly a big, fancy cross-country road trip, but I guess we can consider this a test run? Bright Harbor is a few hours away. It will at least be something interesting to do."

Like it was even a question. "Um, duh. I literally cannot think of a single better thing we could do. I'm all for it!"

* * *

Sure, none of it was exactly what Mae was hoping for when she first suggested the two of them hitting the road some day on a fantastical trip. But then again, it was kinda natural for her to come up with some big silly thing that wasn't actually feasible. Reality was pretty nice two – the both of them in the car, listening to soothing tunes, chowing down on fast food burgers, the horizon their guide.

Well okay, so technically the driving directions Bea had printed out were their guide. God, having no signal in Possum Springs was the worst, because it meant phones, and therefore smartphones, were a thing that almost nobody had. Certainly not a couple poor kids like them. So directions printed out from the internet would have to do. God forbid Mae ever had to break out the map and play navigator. They'd never see home again.

"Okay, no, what I'm saying is that there's a pattern to movies, right? Perfect example is Space Farers. The first one and every odd numbered movie was great, and all the even ones were pretty widely hated or whatever." If asked, Mae would have had no way of mapping out the conversation they'd been having. An hour ago, it was cupcakes, but now she was defending the possibility that a new movie could be good.

Bea scoffed. "Yeah, and that's seriously the only movie franchise you can do that with. Usually the first movie is the best, but everyone knows Galactic Colonies 2 was the best of any of them. Or Religious Parentage 3 being awful? Never mind the fact that we're talking about a reboot here, and all reboots are basically awful."

"Awwww, but Cold Snap 2015 was so good..."

"Yeah, but doesn't it feel weird that we have to refer to all these movies with their production year or 'Oh the new one I mean, not the old one, sorry for the confusion' y'know? Just feels super awkward."

Mae might have been pouting but she was too busy tearing into the last of her burger hungrily. "I guess... I dunno, sometimes I can't help but be stupidly optimistic. Frankly, I wish I was as smart as you. Maybe I'd stop being let down so much."

And there was that eye roll again. "Mae, come on. You're not stupid. I'm not even sure I'd call you optimistic. It's normal to want something to be good. Hell, I don't believe it's related to intelligence. Being willing to believe that it will be good is like... I dunno, brave? Or strong? I'm taking the easier option by assuming that everything and everyone will disappoint me. I get to be right more often, but it's also usually lonelier."

"Did I disappoint you?" It was a really dumb thing to ask, but the words were out before she could do much about them.

"Honestly? I think I was afraid you would. It seemed like you got pretty close a few times. But I'm glad you didn't. Because you're a great friend, and now that the guys left, those are in short supply." Bea paused there and things were quiet in the car for a little while except for the music playing through the car's stereo. "It would just... suck if I didn't have you, y'know?"

This was normally where Mae just lapsed into some fit of goofy silliness in order to diffuse the tension. But this time, for whatever reason, she didn't let herself go there. "It would suck. I mean, if you weren't my friend too. Also."

Things went back to quiet again, but it was actually not terrible? Without really knowing exactly why, Mae was sure that they could have driven the rest of the trip in that silence and it would have felt just fine.

* * *

Mae hated to say it, but Bright Harbor really was a nice town, even if it did take her best bud away from her. It took a bit of work to find parking, which was apparently just a thing in cities. But the two lived in a charming apartment building in a charming part of town filled with charming gay couples and the whole place was just so damn charming. It was hard to hate it.

God, even the apartment was charming, though that was most likely due to Angus' stylish touch and gentle hands. No boxes left unpacked, throw pillows everywhere, the smell of delicious food despite the fact that no one was cooking at the moment. They were greeted warmly at the door, Angus pulling Bea into a tight bear hug and squeezing the breath out of her, Gregg tackling Mae to the ground and punching her in the shoulder like any good friend should always do.

"Whaddya say, Bea, is she raising hell out there at the Pickaxe like a good maniac?"

"Hush. I have been working very hard to make sure that raising hell is exactly the kind of thing she never does during working hours. She's become the very model of a good worker. Mostly." Goodness, was that a twinge of pride that Mae saw on her face?

Gregg stood up, pulling Mae with him and brushing himself off. "Ugh. Turned into a total conformist. I'm ashamed. You should have died in a horrible power tool accident."

"You should have gotten run over by your moving truck."

Angus stood a little taller, puffing his chest out slightly. "I oversaw the moving process. It was seamless, thank you very much."

Gregg began flapping his arms wildly. "Aaauuuggghhh! God it's good to see you." Gregg smirked and threw his arms around her, hugging her more like a normal person this time.

They gave Mae and Bea the grand tour before showing them to the guest room – they had a guest room! And Gregg said _she_ was a conformist – before giving them some time to change so they could make their way to the court house. Bea seemed to get a little weird for a moment or two before offering to take the bathroom to change, leaving before Mae could inject some snarky comment. So she just shrugged it off and switched out of her usual trash clothes into her slightly less trash clothes. Dresses were basically not made for her body, so she opted instead for some black slacks, and a shirt and tie. The weather wasn't really right for a coat and in fact she ended up having to roll the sleeves up just to not feel like she was going to die from heat stroke.

Bea met her in the living room wearing clothing with a surprising amount of color, even if that color was a deep crimson red. She looked damn good, but ultimately today was all about their friends and she didn't really have the luxury to think too long about _that stuff_. Gregg and Angus were apparently dead-set on doing this right in spite of the heat, both sporting tuxes and simultaneously patting their pockets to make sure they still had their partner's ring on them. It was too effing cute.

They piled into Bea's car like it was old times again, even if 'old times' was really only just a few months ago. The court house was shockingly close, and it was a quick flight of stairs up to the little ceremonial room they had for people that didn't want to (or rather, were too poor to) do a fancier ritual at a beach or something.

Even though it wasn't the normal way things were done, the guys insisted that Mae and Bea walk them down the aisle, just for the sake of doing it. The mere thought of it had Mae misty-eyed, and watching Bea walk Angus up there first before bringing Gregg up alongside him on her arm had her feeling like she was definitely going to be weeping before too long.

The clerk guy launched in with the usual schpeal, and most of it was pretty much standard until it came to the rings and the vows. Mae wasn't sure what to expect. Gregg was chaotic and Angus was quiet and neither of them seemed like the type to have a beautiful speech planned. Boy was she wrong.

Angus removed the ring from his pocket and cleared his throat. "Gregg. Even if we had all the money in the world, I would still rather be placing this simple steel ring around your finger. Stronger and more useful than gold by every measure, why would I bother wasting my time with something gaudy and useless. You are my fumbled words, my eager kisses, my corner, my Bug. I love you."

The ring was slipped around Gregg's finger as he sniffled, removing the other ring and looking at it for a moment. "Oh Cap'n, my Cap'n. Dude, you are like literally the greatest. We made it, dude. We're here and we're living and it's amazing and. I love you too. Like crazy."

Neither vow was entirely perfect, but it was perfect for the man speaking it. Poor Mae was crying in earnest now, wiping at her eyes, and grateful to see Bea was having just as emotional a time as she was. The clerk said the thing about being husbands and kissing, which Gregg and Angus did with gusto, and the two girls broke out in obnoxious cheering before rushing up to thank the clerk and properly congratulate their friends.

Mae looked at Bea, laughing brightly with slightly choked crying. "Dude, I don't think any road trip could ever live up to this one..."

Bea nodded, squeezing the life out of Angus, probably only in part out of retribution. "No kidding."


	4. What the Eff is Happening

Once all the warm fuzzies had more or less passed and everyone had dried their eyes, they returned to Gregg and Angus' apartment. Gregg excitedly fiddled with a bottle of champagne while Angus busied himself in the kitchen, and they sat around shooting the shit and just generally having an amazing time. Mae was mostly just hoping that Gregg didn't put anyone's eye out with that cork.

"Hey! How'd that party go? The one with Jackie?" he asked as he undid the little metal covering.

Mae and Bea shared a look, and even Mae herself couldn't have really described what that look was. She was kind of dumb when it came to _stuff_ and there was most definitely _stuff_ going on. A lot of it, too, and hard to think about too much. "Uh, pretty good I guess? Not bad, at any rate. Lots of dancing which was great."

Both of their hosts looked unimpressed with the answer, but were apparently uncertain about pushing the subject too much. Gregg just poured each of them a healthy dose of champagne and Angus served up dishes of chicken and something called quinoa. Whatever, it was all delicious anyway, so it hardly mattered what it was called. They talked for a while about anything and everything, and Mae finally discovered that it was actually Bea who wrote the lyrics for Weird Autumn and if that didn't fill in the blanks she wasn't sure what did. Things eventually moved into the living room where they all lounged out with full bellies and slightly fuzzy heads.

"So." Angus said suddenly, obviously launching into something of a bigger discussion. "Is Possum Springs any more sane? Or at least less crazy?"

"Yeah. I mean. It's still a weird effing place to live. But there hasn't been anything bad at least." Bea shrugged and sipped at her beer, having opted to continue drinking beyond the champagne. Mae, however, had found that to be more than enough and cut herself off there. She was still learning, after all, trying to be less of a trash fire.

"No cult. Basically. There have been some... mysteriously missing people around town, and I can't stop feeling like that's my fault. Guess that's just part of my-"

Bea cut her off with a harshly pointing finger. "Don't go there, Mayday. We weren't exactly in a good position when everything went down, and you had a lot in your head. It was jus'... It was bad. And there's no point in blaming yourself. They were doing terrible things, and the reasons aren't... Ugh! I don't know." Well, at least Mae wasn't the only one still not sure how to actually feel about everything. "I think maybe I should head to bed..." Before anyone could say anything, Bea got up and kind of stumbled her way toward the guest room.

The living room was silent for a moment or two before Mae stood up and smiled awkwardly. "Uh. I'll just. Go check on her." She stepped quietly down the hall and knocked at the door before stepping inside nervously. Still anxious, she sat down on the other side of the bed from the other girl and looked at her with growing concern. "You okay?"

"I have a lot of... Ugh..." Bea seemed to stop herself, then tried again to express what was going through her head. "I'm trying to make peace with the idea that I'll be in Possum Springs for a while. And on some level, I am okay with it. But I have to constantly bash that knowledge against all the other stupid bullshit and it's just frustrating. Like the cult, or all the crappy people who think we're no good. Every time you talk about yourself that way, it reminds me of dad, of the way he would talk just before he spiraled. And I guess... I get scared that you'll spiral too."

That was heavy and Mae didn't really have a good answer right away. She got up from the bed and went to change into her pajamas while they spoke. "That's sweet of you. But... I mean, all that cliché stuff about people being different? I already had my spiral. I bashed a kid's head in. Me talking shit about myself is how I deal with it. I'm spiraling up now! And... it's slow and scary and tough. But um... if it makes you uncomfortable, then I promise I'll try not to be so awful to myself." Clad in her finest ratty clothing, Mae settled back on the bed and made herself comfortable. "I get the feeling it's not just my self-destruction that's got you worried?"

Bea fiddled with a loose thread in her clothes and sighed with a small nod. "So... Let's say I do stay in Possum Springs and I keep running the Pickaxe and looking after dad and... then what? There's a very short list of people I like that can ever provide any kind of distraction, and who knows just how short that list will get in the next few years if the town keeps dying and more people leave? I'd hate to end up a bitter old spinster before I'm thirty, you know? Just selling shovels and making sure my dad isn't thinking about... committing suicide or whatever."

Even after all the time they'd known one another, the two of them didn't share too much in the way of physical affection, so Mae knew it would be kind of a big deal for her to take Bea's hand just for the sake of holding it. "Hey. I'm probably going to be in Possum Springs for a while too. Despite trying to get out and go to college and all that normal stuff, I just couldn't make it. And it might take me a while before I feel okay with trying it again. So look on the bright side, you're completely stuck with me. And I promise I won't let things get boring just because we're doomed to life in a tiny backwater town. Okay?"

"I... guess that does sound pretty nice. You ought to be careful though, Mae. Kinda sounds like you're pledging an awful lot of time to me." Bea's face looked a little redder than usual, but these days, Mae had firmly decided that she was too hopeless to ever definitively know how to understand people. But at least Bea didn't look so upset. "What about you? If you're spending all your attention on me, are you gonna find time for the stuff you want to do?"

Mae fiddled anxiously with her friend's hand, hoping it wouldn't bother her too much. "Dude, I don't have a single damn clue what I want. I'm working now, so I don't feel guilty, and I can even help mom and dad with stuff if I need to. The only thing I care about right now is finding some place that I can feel comfortable and not see... shapes everywhere. All the other stuff, I'll just figure it out along the way. So. If I can be useful to someone I care about, then that's good enough for me."

She assumed that would be good news, but Bea looked almost disappointed, detaching hands and stretching out on her side of the bed, facing away from her. "I'm tired and we've got another day of driving tomorrow. G'night Mae..."

Mae really tried to act naturally, do some reading and enjoy the ghost book her grandfather left her, but this was becoming a very strange evening. Their drive out here had been so fabulous, and watching their best friends get married was amazing. But Bea had been acting like a big weirdo all night and Mae couldn't figure her out. And she couldn't go wandering out into the living room to tell their hosts that she and Bea had had a fight(?) so Mae chose to just burrow under the covers as well and wait for sleep to claim her.

* * *

Mae awoke to the rest of the apartment already in activity. Bleary-eyed she wandered out into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. "What's up, my fellow cool kids?"

Angus placed some eggs and bacon in front of her. "Food. You drink coffee Mae? I feel like you must. But I could also believe you don't."

"Those are literally the only two options, Angus. But yes, I drink coffee." He set down a mug next to her plate, at which point Mae carefully drowned out the bitterness with creamer and sugar before digging into her breakfast.

"Gregg usually has to be at work kinda early. He was freaked out that he would never get the hang of it, but look at him now, up and out the door before I'm even awake." Angus chuckled and finished off hif own plate of food.

Bea smiled wistfully just for a split second before returning to her usual apathy. "Sounds very nice, very... domestic." Mae recalled how strange and awkward the two of them had been last night, and she knew there was a connection going on between then and now, but she literally couldn't do the math. "Anyway, Angus said he had to leave pretty soon so I promised we would head out too so they didn't have to worry about a couple ruffians rampaging around their apartment when they're not here. You cool to disappear soon?"

She nodded, and things returned to a gentle morning quiet as they finished their meal, cleaned up, and packed. Everything felt... weird... stilted. It wasn't bad, just unsettling.

Even back in the car, there was none of that wonderfully playful banter from the day before. The radio stayed on and filled the space with music, but it wasn't a perfect fix. Mae at least attempted to get some more reading done on her book, but that weird itch at the back of her brain wouldn't go away, the gnawing suspicion that at any moment a bomb would drop on this tense situation and blow everything to hell. The only time anyone spoke was when they stopped around noon to get some food, not too far from Possum Springs.

"Food?"

"I can eat."

"Cool."

Except for placing their orders, little else was said, and the music was soon joined by the sound of two people eating. Bea was the one to break the silence again, setting her burger down half-eaten with a little sigh. "Mae, can I ask you a really stupid question? And... like you don't have to answer. But I need to ask it anyway."

"Yeah, totally." She took a slow breath, knowing that this was the bomb she had been expecting for the last few hours. Whatever it was, she could no doubt handle it. Right? Yeah of course. Absolutely.

"Last night. Why... why didn't you like... make a move on me?"

Mae had been expecting a handful of things to come out of her friend's mouth. Asking Mae to make a move on her was not really at the top of that list. For a while, all she could do was sit there in shock as she tried to rearrange all the pieces in her head, but they still weren't exactly fitting. "Uh... Well I guess I can start with the obvious answer that I don't really have any moves to make. Let's not forget I'm the virgin of the group for a reason."

Bea nodded her head slowly, obviously trying just as hard to search for words. "I thought I was dropping obvious hints all over the place! But I've been way too scared. To like... do anything more than that."

"Bea, I'm going to try really hard to not say anything mean about myself here. But let's not pretend that I'm some kind of social wizard. I never understand anything. So if there's... a thing going on, even if it's kinda hard, it will be better for everyone if you just... tell me." Maybe that was a cruel thing to do, or maybe she just really wanted to hear Bea admit something out loud. But it was also definitely true that Mae was confused and uncertain what her friend was getting at, though she knew she was very close to it.

"Augh! I like you, idiot! That's what I'm getting at! That's the beginning and end of the entire thing!" Whoops, she definitely hadn't meant to goad Bea into yelling at her like that. But she seemed to calm down once she got past her initial statement. "And I guess... I had been hoping that last night... with everything we'd been talking about, I figured maybe that would be our chance to do... something? Ugh, I sound like such an ass right now, I'm sorry."

"No! You don't sound like an ass. I like you too, and it's kind of an amazing relief to know that it's not just me. And trust me, if you asked me to, I totally would have 'made a move' last night. It would have been awkward and weird and fumbling. But I dang sure woulda tried, you know?" In a moment of empathy, Mae realized how hard it was to say all that out loud, and she appreciated the fact that Bea initiated this conversation at all. She hurried to take another large bite of her burger before she said anything else embarrassing.

"Well. Uh. The day is young and we don't really have anywhere to be. You... wanna do something...?"

"What do you have in mind?"

Bea said nothing, getting the car going and continuing their journey toward Possum Springs, smiling mischievously.


	5. Cigarettes, Suffragettes, and Bores

Mae had discovered on this trip that there were many more kinds of silence than just the one. There was the terrifying silence where Bea didn't want to talk to her because she was pushing something down. The beautiful, warm silence where the two of them could spend hours together without saying a word. And now, the electrified, heavy silence of Bea plotting and planning something very special as she drove them to an as-yet unidentified location for something that may or may not have been some kind of date? Mae thought she hated silence. But now she was discovering that wasn't entirely true.

At least now they were back in familiar territory and Mae was able to slowly work out where they were headed. There was a wealth of parks in Possum Springs, and by the time you were 12 you basically knew them all on sight. Miller's Rest was a kind of sunken garden thing, Fiddler's Green was the place where families went to have picnics, and Long-Ear Rise was a particularly hilly place that was almost entirely populated by young people in love and mysteriously foggy cars.

Bea had chosen Long-Ear Rise. Because of course she had.

Mae was at least grateful that Bea wasn't so gross as to insist that they stay in the vehicle and "neck," whatever the hell that was. Instead she climbed out, and once Mae joined her, offered her a hand which she happily took. They continued on in the strange silence toward the top of the highest hill, and the poor cat wasn't really in shape enough to not be kinda out of breath by the time they reached the peak. Luckily, Bea sat down and tugged her down next to her. She gave a rather unattractive grunt as she flopped onto the ground next to her and almost naturally ended up resting against Bea's shoulder.

"Um, first. I just wanted to say sorry for being kind of a bitch today."

"Wh- Bea, no, you weren't a-"

"I was, and it's okay to say that. Well, for me to say that. You aren't allowed to say that."

"...fair." Mae messed idly with Bea's hand for a moment or two, looking at their intertwined fingers. "So you really like me?" Ugh, way to sound like a little kid again. Mae was sure she could have phrased that better, but oh well. The question and the self-doubt remained the same.

The hand holding her own squeezed gently, bringing her back to the present moment, eliciting a happy little smile. "Duh. I know what it's like, to not see it. But you are so adorable and wonderful that sometimes it almost infuriates me that you can't see it. You're bright and energetic and funny and weird... Honestly, I'm tempted to ask you the same question."

"Really?" Mae giggled softly and nuzzled into her gently. "You just wanna hear me say nice things about you, don't you?"

"Wh-! No! You know me well enough to know that I'm not as confident as I pretend. You're not the only one plagued by negative thoughts..."

Shit. That little statement put a lot of things in perspective, and Mae wasn't giggling anymore. She sat up taller and brushed her free hand against the side of Bea's face. "You... Bea... You are so beautiful. And smart. And a little scary. And I know that sometimes a shitty brain can be a constant annoyance. So I'll save the rest of my glowing review for whenever you're feeling down."

Mae could have sworn she saw Bea's eyes start to mist over. "Idiot..." That was the only warning Mae got before Bea launched forward, pressing her down into the grass and kissing her in a manner Mae might almost have called 'desperate'. Words were nice, and compliments were good. But laying there on the ground with Bea kinda on top of her, kissing her like that, was the ultimate confidence boost. But the moment was ruined somewhat when Bea pulled back from the kiss no longer just teary but legitimately starting to cry a little.

"Oh god, did I do okay? You're not disappointed or something are you?"

Bea began to laugh softly, even as she cried. "No, jeez, calm down, you did fine. I just uh..." She carefully settled back onto the ground and hugged Mae close with a tight grip, facing in the direction of the slowly setting sun. "I'm still questioning myself all the time about this damn town. Do I want to just stay here forever? Do I want to try and last a few more years? Do I want to just run away forever right now? And I guess maybe I poured some stupid hope into the idea that finally getting _here_ , I would have a more certain idea. But nothing has changed. I love this town and I hate it and I'm still just as uncertain"

Mae's head was still spinning a bit from the whole physical intimacy thing. But she knew she needed to figure out how to center herself so she could at least be a little helpful. "Hey, I'm the queen of being confused. And I'm right there with you. This is home. But home isn't great. And it would be nice to live closer to the boys again. But both our parents are in weird situations and it would feel extra shitty to just ditch them."

"But it's a double-edged sword. We're kids, and it's our job to leave and make our own lives. From what you've told me, your parents will be okay. But dad..." She sniffled and hastily wiped at her eyes with her sleeves. "He... We... already lost mom. And if I go off into the horizon with a middle finger pointed at Possum Springs, then I'm also ostensibly saying 'eff you' to him as well."

Normally Mae would have been happy to just sit there and watch the sunset in gentle quiet, but this conversation wasn't exactly over yet. "I've been thinking that... We're young? And maybe it's okay if we continue to just spin our wheels for a while? Our parents were able to get married and buy a house by the time they were twelve or whatever. But we're not them, and we have to do things our way. And. I mean, I-I don't want to be an anchor weighing you down if you get an itch to leave..." Bea finally started to smile again, giving her that 'you're an idiot' look again, though she said nothing yet. "But I kinda like that we have a pattern now, working together at the Pickaxe, hanging out, doing nothing. And I know it's not the most exciting existence on the planet. But it's nice, and I'm still pretty desperate for 'nice' most of the time..."

Bea reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately, then continued to idly pet her, stroking her fur softly. "It can be really weird talking to you sometimes, Mae. Because we're the same age, and you can be such a little kid one minute, and then the next you're like this incredibly wise old witch. That was quite possibly the best way to tell me that I need to be patient without being annoying and telling me I need to be patient. You're a good friend." Bea's face suddenly fell and her eyes widened a little, Mae mirroring her expression, as they both realized simultaneously that they had other more pressing things to figure out.

"Best friend?"

"Greatest buddy?"

"Gal pal?"

Bea's eyes narrowed. "I will actually punch you in your actual face if you ever say that again."

That swiftly put an end to that part particular game and Mae hopped suddenly to her feet. "I'm wired. If you'll indulge me?"

Bea's face softened and her head canted to the side slightly. "Um, yeah, of course?"

"Delightful." She flopped back onto the ground and excitedly rolled down the hill with a loud "Wheee!" Then, just as quickly, she hopped up and ran back to the top of the hill, barely even out of breath, and without warning did it all over again. The air was filled with the marvelous sound of Bea's laughter. Unlike other women, she laughed from her chest not her head, and consequently created this soothing, deeper noise that Mae wasn't sure she could ever get tired of.

Only on the third round did she stop to grab at Bea's hand, tugging it playfully. "C'mon c'mon! Expend energy with me and have fun in the process! It's good for you!" Apparently resigned to her fate at this point, Bea allowed Mae to convince her that rolling down a hill was a normal thing young adults did. With her practice, Mae was able to hit the bottom first, and then rather unexpectedly was used by Bea as a landing pad. For a blissful couple of seconds, Bea just lay there on top of her, staring down at her in embarrassment, both of them blushing like crazy.

Finally Bea broke the silence by stealing another kiss from Mae, causing her to erupt in rather loud purring. This time they let nothing interrupt them and did their best to let it go on for as long as possible, just attempting to destroy all that awful tension that had been building up lately. She attempted to do some exploratory touching, but her own anxiety and nervousness only let her get as far as placing her hands experimentally on Bea's hips. Some other time, perhaps.

Bea finally broke the kiss, smiling broadly. "So. Girlfriends then?"

"Girlfriends. Ooh! We should get celebratory tacos!"

* * *

So they got celebratory tacos. Taco Buck was quiet that evening and they were able to get themselves a table for two off to the side of the little establishment. It was far from fancy, but neither of them was really rolling in money, nor did they have much of an urge to eat food that cost more than ten bucks per person. Finally they were back to their more lively chatter and Mae got to hear more of that wonderful laughter. It was good to see Bea looking so happy again, and hard to wrap her head around the fact that she was at least part of the reason for that happiness. That would take time.

"God, you really know how to show a girl a good time, Borowski. My heart is all a flutter."

"There's our wayward daughter, back from the big city! And her long-suffering companion too!" Bea looked over Mae's shoulder as the poor girl froze in her spot, taco halfway toward her mouth. That was undoubtedly the sound of her father's voice. Crap.

"In her defense, I'm more short-suffering. The suffering happens in tiny bursts. We are currently in-between sufferings and having a good time. How about you?"

Finally her parents came into view and smiled warmly at the two of them. "Just fine, Bea, thank you. We weren't sure when you were going to be home, so the missus and I decided to treat ourselves to a night on the town."

"Granted a night on the town can be completed in roughly two hours. But it's still a good thing to do now and then. Get some pavement under your feet and indulge in the community that is our blessed little town." Her mom was chiming in now and looking so incredibly pleased with herself. And that meant something was going through the woman's head. Mae knew that look. She could only imagine what her parents were really getting up to.

Bea laughed pleasantly, obviously having picked up a flair for dealing with people in a polite and friendly way. "You know, on a night this nice, I'm inclined to agree. I'm sorry we already got here and found ourselves a smaller table, but we'll probably be on our way before too long." It was super obviously not true. They had very clearly chosen a small table, and they were only just halfway through their own tacos. But Bea was speaking that weird, ineffable language of Real Adults that Mae simply hadn't mastered quite yet.

Her parents appeared to understand perfectly and waved goodbye, leaving them alone once again. Bea looked back at her with a knowing smile. "So, when ya gonna tell 'em?

"I don't know!" Mae said, probably too loudly. "I don't know... Probably soon? It's not like I'm embarrassed or ashamed. Just... weird. Small and weird and confused. But they think you're cool, so it's hardly an issue. It's a non-issue. A nissue."

Bea just chuckled and bit into another taco. "You'll be fine. They're good people, just tell them the truth. You thought I was super hot and wanted to jump my bones."

Her face was burning just about as bright as could be and she attempted to hide it in the act of eating food. It was not terribly successful.

* * *

After eating, the two went back to the Santello's apartment to cuddle in her room and listen to old records. It was a perfectly sublime way to finish off a very strange, confusing day. There was a good deal more making out, and when it became clear that poor Mae was hopeless when it came to anything past lip-to-lip connection. Bea was actually kind enough to slow down and show her a few things, like where to rest her hands. However, she fizzled out when her new girlfriend decided to offer a demonstration by sliding her hand up under the bottom of Mae's shirt, gently brushing the fur along her side and whispering "Is it okay to touch you like this?"

It was, for the record, but also caused her brain to misfire a few times and they agreed that was probably good enough for one day – a solid initial attempt.

Besides, it was time for The Ritual and that meant getting back home, as much as she hated leaving a place so warm and welcoming as this. Down the street and back at her house, Mae strolled in the door to see her father already sitting on the couch watching TV. "Good timing. Garbo and Malloy is almost on." She plopped onto her usual spot next to him, calmed by the familiar sound of the theme song and her father slowly sipping his drink. "So, did you have a good trip?"

"Yeah, it was great. Gregg and Angus said some really beautiful stuff for their vows. They had these awesome little plain steel rings and Angus said a thing about... something. It was great." She coughed nervously and fidgeted in her spot. Garbo was saying something on the television about the heat death of the universe. The show had been getting really dark lately.

"Good. And Bea? How are things with her? She drive safely? Folks in Bright Harbor don't know a damn thing about driving right. City living just makes people forget how to drive like a normal person."

Mae chuckled softly and nodded some more, still fidgeting with her hands. Malloy was chanting 'Ia! Ia!' over and over again while putting on a mysterious yellow robe. Weird show, but funny. "She said the same thing. I thought she was going to kill someone. She's like... an almost boring driver really."

"Good. Smart kid. Always thought she had a solid head on her shoulders." Garbo was displaying some kind of ritualistic flute, made from stone maybe? Played a really weird song on it. One of the cameramen had a sudden fit, foaming at the mouth. It was a strange skit.

"We uh... We sorta went on a date? Like, when we got back. I'm honestly not even sure how it happened. But yeah. We're dating now. So yeah. Great trip." The cameraman stood up and wiped the whipped cream from his mouth and waved to the audience with a big grin. Cool how they kept such a simple show fresh after so many seasons.

"Good. Your mother and I always knew that would happen eventually. Even before you started working at the Ol' Pickaxe. Hell of a capitalist, for a girl who wears so much black. Y'all gonna stay in town, or run off after your friends?" This conversation was going oddly well, punctuated by all the strangeness on the flickering screen in front of them.

"No, not uh... not just yet. Gregg and Angus had been planning that move for quite a while. Even if we started right now, it would take a while before we'd be able to do that. Besides, I-I dunno... I guess I'm like... curious? Curious to see what happens here? Anyway, no major life changes yet. Don't worry."

"Good. Good good good. Possum Springs don't have much, but it would be nice to see the next generation try and do with it what they can."

It sounded almost like Dad was speaking in riddles, and Mae found herself vaguely remembering giving that mysterious tooth to her father just after the whole mine thing. The tooth from her grandfather. The tooth from the secret society. The secret society that may have just been teamsters forming a new union, or maybe had something to do with the death cult. She and her friends had gone back to their lives pretty quickly. What did her dad know? What was left to be discovered in Possum Springs? Mae wasn't sure she could leave until she knew the answer to these questions.

On TV, the skit was over, but Malloy was still wearing the weird yellow hooded robe.


	6. Raised Amid the Trickle-Down Days

"I know Possum Springs is a weird place. But even by our usual standards, this is _weird_."

Mae climbed out of Bea's car and joined her in staring at the unassuming red brick building. They had been asked by both their fathers to meet them at the Zubov House. That was pretty much all they had been told, but on the drive over, Bea got to work theorizing what this could possibly be about. In truth, Mae didn't fully understand all of it. But she managed to pick up on the gist of it. The Zubov house supposedly belonged to a dentist back in old-timey Possum Springs. Except the house was super fancy and didn't seem like the kind of thing an old-timey dentist could afford on old-timey dentist money. Bea also pointed out that the name had something to do with teeth, and that it would be super dumb if a kid grew up his whole life with the last name Tooth and then became a dentist.

The thing that managed to keep Mae's interest most was when Bea reminded her of the tooth that she had found, and the information they'd discovered during their library adventure. Not only did Possum Springs have its own death cult, there also appeared to be bits and pieces still around from a secret society. It was formed by a bunch of angry miners, and they used teeth from an actual dude's actual skull to signify membership. Mae had given the tooth to her father, knowing it might make him feel happy but without otherwise worrying about it too much. It seemed that tonight she would be finding out the consequences of that unthinking choice.

"Yeah... pretty dang weird... Weirdo meirdo. That's... That's not a saying. Why did I say that?" Mae sighed and started for the door.

She felt Bea's hand slip into her own, squeezing gently. "Because you babble when you're nervous, babe. It's okay. It's... cute." Dating or not, she still had trouble sometimes being open with affection. That was fine with Mae, she was learning to read her, learning to know what all her quirks really meant. "Go on, it's going to be fine."

Mae steeled herself and opened the door with her free hand. Driving home the suspicion that this wasn't actually a house, the first room inside was something of a lobby. There were chairs and tables scattered around, and the wall was covered in a long row of old pictures of men with funny hats on. At least some of them were smiling, so it was less creepy and more just silly.

But the important thing was the collection of other people standing around in the lobby looking as anxious as Mae was feeling. She noticed Germ, which was kind of weird since she couldn't imagine him being drawn into something that felt so mysterious and important. He was talking with Selmers, who seemed oddly into whatever he was saying. Toward the other side of the room was Lori, talking shop with the Thryy Wyrd Tyyns from the graveyard and/or woods and/or wherever else they liked to lurk.

It was... a strange collection of people, and the addition of Mae and Bea didn't really do anything to clarify what this could possibly be. They didn't have time to join in on the conversations and make assumptions, because the door to the next room was opened by Mae's dad. "Looks like everyone's here. Come on in, kids."

For some reason, she expected the place to be the kind where a shadowy cabal might meet, with torches and sigils and stuff. Instead it was just... another room, with a bunch of chairs and couches and stuff. Like it was a clubhouse. Equally surprising was the collection of people who were sitting there waiting for them. Along with Mae's parents and Bea's dad, there was also Mr. Chazakov, Pastor K, the musicians she'd met around town, and leaning against the far wall, that weird Janitor guy.

Each of them took a seat, looking around in a bit of a haze, unsure what to expect. Mae's father sat forward and glanced at each of them. "Well, no point in being all cloak and dagger about things. For a while now, people around town have been getting these little teeth with stuff etched on them. Back in the day, a bunch a' miners started... a kind of union, just with a bit of a morbid touch." He did his best to explain the history behind the teeth, and Mae and Bea offered supplementary info whenever they could.

But apparently since Mae gave him the little relic, her father had been doing even more research here in this... whatever the heck it was. "Over time, teeth ended up in more and more diverse hands, although pretty much always the lower and middle class. Working stiffs who fought together over and over on behalf of the little guy. Eventually they figured, hey, might as well make it official. So they got themselves a base of operations and a name – the Spring Dentists. No one said they were super clever, but they did the right thing. And now it looks like we're the new Dentists." He shrugged and sighed, leaning back and finally looking more like the man Mae was used to. "Let's be honest, Karen's the youngest of us, and we're not exactly in-touch with things. So it seemed like a good idea to bring in some youngins to help us get clued in. Help us figure out how to even go about making our town a decent place."

All of the 'youngins' shared a look, and Bea was naturally the first to speak up. "Well, that's... vague."

Her father smiled sadly, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, it ain't much to go off of. But that's because this isn't the government. We're not the mayor or the town council. We're just a couple concerned citizens who don't want to see our town die."

Now it was Mae and Bea's turn to share a much more private look. They'd heard all this before, and it was super terrifying to think that a new cult might form, this time out of their own parents and friends. "That line of thinking is what led to all those disappearances..." Mae muttered.

Surprisingly, it was Molly who addressed her complaint, even though it hadn't really been meant for anyone but Bea. "We're not sacrificing anybody Mae." She looked across the room at her aunt, unable to hide her shock. The woman chuckled softly and shook her head. Even when she wasn't in her uniform, she still had a habit of carrying herself like an officer of the law. "It's my job to know things, Mae. And I learned all about those boys and their little club out in the woods. They were more worried about some magic creature inside the ground, as if that was what made a town live. We're gonna focus on community building, commerce, real stuff."

Mae wanted to argue that there very much was a dead god under the earth, but it seemed pointless and it would only make her look crazy. But a tight squeeze around her hand reminded her that she wasn't crazy, that Bea had been there too, and that even if she didn't understand, she tried mega hard to believe her anyway. That was good enough. Most days anyway.

"Still not sure I understand why we're the ones you brought in. We're not the most exemplary members of the community..." mused Selmers. "No offense to anyone, I'm included in that list. But why are you so certain we're gonna be any help."

It was Sadie, the woman who Mae found playing saxophone, that answered the question. "There's no point in pouring energy into people that want to get out of Dodge the first chance they get. You're locals. You know Possum Springs backwards and forwards. And we know that each of you doesn't yet have plans to move away."

Mae's father chuckled softly. "Come on, give them a little more credit than that. After all, Bea and Mae have breathed some real life into the Ol' Pickaxe, and helping with those community plays."

Pastor K nodded happily and looked over at Germ Warfare. "Jeremy has the makings of a saint in there somewhere. He happily befriends all the drifters who pass through the area, and he's become close with no less than three wild animals. Not unlike St. Giovanni."

"Ms. Forrester is a staple in the community, fast becoming known for her poetry and her observations about everyday life. She could be the Poet Laureate of Possum Springs someday!" Mr. Chazakov was probably laying it on a little bit thick there, but then again, Mae couldn't really disagree. Selmers had dang potential.

Saleem, the other musician, smiled and motioned to the little mouse in the leather jacket. "Lori's already made a few films with her friends, legitimately spooky stuff. And she's only fifteen!"

"Despite being a couple delinquent hooligans with a record of trespassing and loitering... Well, Britt, Karla, and Pam really know their lore and history about this place. Even if they are just a little too obsessed with the occult." Molly laughed softly, crossing her arms.

It was... weird to have all the adults around them lavishing all their praise onto them. Or at least it sure did to Mae. After all, there were still a lot of days where she felt like nothing but a no-good trash mammal. And more often than not, when she looked in the mirror, all she saw was those nightmare eyes. But it was true that lately she actually felt that she was actually turning her life around. This all should have been amazing news. So why did it feel like... not... that?

It should have come as no surprise that Bea was on the same wavelength as her. Almost without missing a beat she spoke out soft and sure. "No... I'm sorry, I can't. This is... entirely unfair. I'm leaving."

Bea's hand left Mae's as she stood and headed for the door. No one stopped her, and since Mae really didn't want to get left behind – not to mention grateful for the chance to duck out – she hurried after her. She rushed up to her car where Bea was already getting a cigarette lit up. "W-Wait up! I'm coming with you!" She saw the corners of Bea's mouth curl up, and instantly knew she'd done the right thing. You could always depend on her to do the right thing.

"Didn't sit right with you either?"

Mae shrugged and joined her in leaning up against the vehicle. "Kinda? Ugh, you know me, I don't know how to put words to anything. What about you?"

"It's like... y'know, I just kinda got used to the idea of staying in Possum Springs for a while. And somehow, some way, just as I do that, the universe decides to take me and throw me to the other end of the spectrum where it's just as terrifying. Even if they weren't saying it outright, they want us to be heroes. You could see it in their faces. Instead of chucking us into a pit, they're putting us on a pedestal, and that's just as bad." She huffed, and took the cigarette she'd barely smoked, tossing it angrily to the ground and stomping it out. "Cults and secret societies and city councils and... and dead moms and... god dammit, can't we just live for five minutes?"

Mae knew she couldn't really offer anything extra to that sentiment. It was a subject that might not be closed for a while. But she could at least make Bea feel better. That was something. And since she had just tossed away her cigarette, she was free to whirl around and lean up into a quick kiss. "Hey, you're looking at the Grand Mistress of Not Doing Stuff. Follow my lead, and soon you will be an expert in avoiding responsibility too!"

Bea laughed, that wonderful amazing laugh that Mae loved because it was so natural and deep. "What did I just say about putting us on pedestals."

"I can't help it when you're so awesome. Now, let's go to the Click Clack and get disgusting pizza and then binge-watch a television show all night and never once feel guilty about it."


End file.
